Oh my goodness, do I love my city.
For a Midwest city of its size, Cincinnati is growing into a beacon of Arts and Culture, and was best put on display over the last weekend as the city transformed into a brilliant array of art and light. BLINK drew well over a million folks who explored projection mapping, murals, sculptures, and interactive light displays from Findlay Market to Covington. The entire vibe of the city was electric. I kept pinching myself all weekend, humbled and honored to have the chance to create one of those experiences.
My sculpture, Arborealis, was tucked away in a quiet alley near Findlay Market. Consisting of over 3,000 paper leaves, 12 LED lights, and a soothing recording of crickets and frogs, the piece invited viewers to experience the calm and peacefulness of nature. The wind rustled through the leaves and a multitude of colored light slowly shifted through the rainbow. Looking closer, the visitors start to notice that the leaves are populated with critters; frogs, spiders, geckos, butterflies… glistening at certain angles as the iridescent film catches the light.
The absolute highlight of the weekend was receiving a message from my friend Lizz Godfroy, who happened to be walking by my installation as a couple was getting married under it! She sent photos, which I shared online, and the story quickly spread. I was moved to tears when I first saw this. What a massive compliment that they would choose an environment that I created for one of the most precious moments of their lives. Let’s all wish Kaitlan and David many happy years together!
photo by Lizz Godfroy
The whole experience of BLINK was amazing. You must check out many of the other incredible works of art that invaded Cincinnati, and look forward to the next one!
Many THANKS to the following folks… it couldn’t have come together without you!!
Kerensa Juniper; my steady and faithful stringer of leaves
Denise Beauchamp, Jessica Brown, Amy Gable, and Judi Vermillion; gracious studio helpers
Liz Miller of ArtWorks; incredibly organized project manager and constant supporter
ArtWorks volunteers; for last-minute painting, and heavy lifting
My husband, Adam; keeper of sanity, holding down the fort during my long days and late nights, assisting in the installation, …and smooches
Marge Adkins; (Mom), always checking in, taking care of things behind the scenes
Dave Adkins; What would I do without Dad? Engineering prowess, leading the installation, and devoted cheerleader <3
Check out some more Arborealis photos here!
